The Bigger Concept
by ioanhoratio
Summary: A bit of Messer Family Fluff. Danny and Lindsay learn it can be hard explaining a big concept to a little girl.


**The Bigger Concept**

**By: ioanhoratio**

**AN: Here is just a bit of family fluff! A child's mind is so fantastical at times and then can be so strictly literal. It's a learning process being able to speak with a child.**

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Danny's eyes flew open as he heard a tiny distraught voice call out to him. His body had long ago adjusted to early morning wake ups but it had been a while since that wake up was accompanied by his crying daughter. Usually she was bright and bubbly in the mornings; laughing and jumping or singing to him. Today however her tear stained face greeted him and she called out, "Daddy! Wake up!"

"Wus wrong baby girl?" Danny croaked as he tried to clear the sleep from his eyes with the palm of his hands.

"Mommy, she needs help," Lucy wailed pointing her finger to the hallway, "she's sick. Hurry Daddy. Please."

Danny threw the covers back and scooped up his frantic daughter. His three year old buried her face in his neck as she continued to sob. Danny knew it would be useless to try and get any more information out of her so he just ran out into the hallway.

"Lindsay," he called out but soon realized it was unnecessary as he could clearly hear the sounds of vomiting coming from the hallway bathroom. He pushed the slightly ajar door open further and saw his wife gripping the toilet seat and gagging.

Danny was torn between comforting his emotional daughter and helping his ill wife. Hearing Lindsay deal with another wave of nausea prompted him into action. He set Lucy down in the hall.

"Baby, I'm gonna help momma a'right but I need you to go play in your room 'k?" he instructed her.

Lucy cried harder and fought to keep him from letting go, "But Mommy is sick. I wan'er to be a'right! I don't want Mommy to die!"

"Lucy," Danny said sharply, "Don't be ridiculous. Mommy is not goin' to die. She is just feelin' sick. She's gonna be fine. Now just do what I say. Get in your room." He hated having to speak to her like that but he couldn't deal with her overly dramatic childish mind at the moment.

Hearing the sternness in his voice the clearly disgruntled child ran from him and he watched as she threw herself onto her bed across the hall. He closed his eyes briefly and let out a sigh. He was going to be apologizing to his baby girl later.

Standing from his crouched position he turned back into the bathroom. He knelt next to Lindsay and held her hair back as he did his best to comfort her. Watching another person vomit was never an enjoyable experience but knowing he was part of the cause made it even worse. So he fought the temptation to frown in disgust and ignored the burning in his legs from his uncomfortable position as he tried to support his wife. Soon her vomiting subsided as it seemed she had nothing left in her stomach to puke.

Danny reached over and pulled some toilet paper off and wiped the tears from her face. They were a natural result of the force her body had used to try and expel the contents of her stomach. She took the tissue from him and mumbled, "It went up my nose," just before she blew her nose.

Danny grimaced. He knew that was not a comfortable feeling and he hurt for her.

With a moan Lindsay leaned into him and rested her head against his chest, here eyes closed.

"Are ya done or do we need to sit here a little bit longer?" Danny asked hoping for her sake it was over.

Lindsay took a few deep breaths and then answered, "I think it has passed for now. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Danny asked incredulous, pulling her head back so he could look her in the face, "What are you sorry for?"

"Lucy," Lindsay explained wearily, her voice scratchy, "I was actually feeling hungry and hadn't felt the least bit nauseous this morning so I thought I could get away with some breakfast. I was about halfway through spreading cream cheese on my bagel when it hit me. I barely made it to the bathroom. I couldn't even close the door. Poor Lucy heard me and then walked in. There was nothing I could do. She just started crying and freaking out." She hated knowing she had upset her daughter.

Danny smoothed Lindsay's hair back and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "She'll be a'right," he assured her, "I'm more concerned about you at the moment."

Lindsay reveled in the knowledge of her husband's devotion and allowed it to serve as a balm to the pain of her current predicament. "I think I'm ok now," she smiled weakly at him, "I think we have to tell Lucy. I think it will help her understand better and help to calm her."

Danny nodded, "You know if we tell Lucy it is as good as tellin' everyone else. I know you wanted to hold off tellin' people for as long as possible because of what happened last time"

Lindsay resisted her mind's attempt to return to that time in their lives and sighed, "Yeah but she was really upset Danny."

"I know. I probably wasn't the most sensitive father just now," Danny admitted guiltily.

Lindsay patted his face and added, "You're still father of the year."

Danny smirked before he stood and reach down to lift his wife.

"Danny you need to put me down," Lindsay said reluctantly.

"What? Why? You aren't feelin' well and ya tired. I'm carryin' ya to bed. This is my way of helpin'" Danny insisted.

"Yes except we have a little girl who is scared that her mommy is sick and seeing you carrying me out is only going to make it worse," Lindsay reasoned.

Danny sighed but did as she instructed.

"I'm going to go brush my teeth while you go get our daughter. I'll meet you back in our bed," Lindsay advised as she stepped out of his arms.

They exited the bathroom and Danny headed into his daughter's room. She lay curled in a ball on her bed facing the wall and gripped tightly to her stuffed dog Puddles. She looked so tiny in her big girl bed.

"Lucy baby," Danny called to her softly incase she had fallen back asleep. She quickly turned and stretched her arms towards him. Her previous anger forgotten and he knew her young heart had forgiven him.

He pulled her off the bed and into his arms. She clung to him and asked, "Mommy?"

"Let's go see her 'k?" Danny suggested and Lucy nodded her head vigorously.

The pair entered the bedroom just as Lindsay was exiting the Master Bath.

"Hey baby girl," she greeted her daughter brightly.

"Mommy!" her daughter cried nearly jumping out of Danny's arms.

Lindsay held her daughter close as she climbed back into bed. Lucy snuggled up next to her and rested her head on Lindsay's arm. Danny sat down on the edge of the bed next them and looked down at his girls.

"Momma are you gonna die?" Lucy asked as she gently ran her small fingers up and down Lindsay's belly.

"No baby," Lindsay said forcefully.

"What is dat? Why do you keep sayin' dat?" Danny asked her.

"You said Hunter got sick and he died," Lucy explained.

Realization dawned on both parents. Hunter had been the Monroe Family ranch dog. Lucy loved playing with him when they visited but he had gotten so old and sick that they had to put him down a few days ago.

"Oh honey, Hunter was very old and very sick. He had more than an upset tummy," Lindsay explained to her.

"Besides Lucy girl Momma's not sick but we do have somethin' we wanna tell ya," Danny added. He looked to Lindsay.

Figuring that was her cue Lindsay began, "See Lucy Mommy isn't sick, she's going to have a baby."

"A baby?" Lucy asked, her brow furrowing.

"Yes a baby," Lindsay answered, "You have seen ladies with a baby in their tummy. Remember?"

Lucy nodded her head, "Like Miss Amy at play school."

"That's right," Danny affirmed, "and it requires a lot of work to grown a baby so sometimes Mommy will have an upset tummy or will feel tired but you don't hafta be scared a'right."

Lucy was quiet a moment as she thought and then said, "But you don't have a big belly."

"Not yet," Lindsay agreed, "but as the baby gets bigger so will my tummy. Just like it did when you were a little baby in my tummy."

"I was in your belly?" Lucy asked amazed.

"Ya sure were. And mommy's belly got huge," Danny added then smirked when he saw the look Lindsay was throwing him. Ignoring her Danny continued, "Ya know what this means?"

Lucy shook her head.

"It means you are gonna be a big sister," Danny provided as he gave her belly a quick pinch.

Lucy laughed at her father then turned sober.

"What are you thinking baby?" Lindsay asked.

Lucy put her hand on Lindsay's belly and then asked, "How did the baby get in there?"

Danny felt a moment of panic and saw the same emotion mirrored in Lindsay's face. They maybe should have thought about that question before they tried to explain the new baby to their three year old.

"Well…" Lindsay began but trailed off. She looked to Danny.

"Um…well, ya see. Mommy and Daddy love each other very much and…ah…" Danny thought a moment then added in a rush, "Daddy gave Mommy a kiss and boom, a baby."

Lindsay couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped but did her best to turn it into a cough.

Lucy seemed to be seriously considering this answer and finally asked, "But you give me kisses Daddy. And Mark at play school he kissed me once."

Danny's head flew up, "He did?"

Lindsay groaned.

"Will I have a baby inside me?" Lucy wanted to know.

"No sweetheart," Lindsay jumped in, "You see Mommy has a…" she searched for the right word, "specialness inside her."

"Specialness Montana?" Danny mocked.

"You be quiet. You were going to have her thinking babies come from kissing," Lindsay scolded. Danny raised his hands in surrender and motioned for her to continue.

"Do I have this specialness?" Lucy inquired before Lindsay could start again.

"Not yet. When you are much bigger and much older you will have it," Lindsay said.

"Does Daddy have it?" Lucy asked eagerly.

"Well, Daddy does have specialness inside him but it is different from Mommy's. But because we love each other so much our specialness makes a baby," Lindsay finished.

"Is that when you play the rolling game?" Lucy asked thoughtfully.

"The rollin' game? What do you mean Luce?" Danny asked her but looked at Lindsay who simply shrugged.

"I got up one night to go potty and you and Mommy were rolling around together on the bed. It looked fun but I was too tired to play," Lucy told them.

Lindsay and Danny's gazes collided and they both struggled to process what they just heard.

"Well baby…"

"That isn't something…"

They both began speaking which made Lucy laugh, "Take turns."

Danny motioned for Lindsay to speak and she motioned for him. Finally Lindsay took a deep breath and said, "The rolling game…when two adults love each other…ok…you know…" Lindsay stammered through then finally throwing her hands in the air she said, "You know what? Babies come from a lot of kissing."

It was Danny's turn to laugh, "Come on kiddo. Let's let Mommy rest and I will go fix you some breakfast. We can make your strawberry oatmeal and talk about you bein' a big sista 'K?"

"K," she said happily as she jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.

Lindsay grabbed onto Danny's hand. He turned to her, his eyebrows raised, "Well that was…

"…unfortunate," Lindsay finished for him.

"You have a feelin' that conversation is gonna come back and bite us in the ass?" Danny asked her, "I mean we hafta tell 'er a hundred times to not stand on the furniture but if it's gonna embarrass us she suddenly has a perfect memory."

Lindsay just rolled her eyes.

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"Yo Messers," Don Flack called out to his friends. They looked up from the evidence they were examining.

"I just talked to Lil'Mess in Mac's office. I hear congratulations are in order," he smiled at them.

Don watched as a huge smile spread across both their faces.

"Thanks Don," Lindsay said, "we are pretty excited and actually I should be grabbing Lucy and heading home. We just stopped by for a minute and I got roped into looking at something for him." She pointed at Danny.

"Yeah, you always fall for the Messer charm," Danny teased as he wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his hand on her belly.

Stepping out of his embrace Lindsay said, "Alright, we are gonna get home and fix dinner. See you in a little while." She gave Danny a quick kiss then headed out of the lab to free Mac from her talkative daughter.

Don watched her leave then turned back to Danny, "Everything goin' a'right?"

Danny knew what Don was referring to and answered, "Yep. So far so good. Lindsay's a little more anxious than she probably should be but who can blamer her after last time."

Don nodded in understanding, "Well I am really happy for you guys."

"Thanks man," Danny said.

Don turned to leave but just before he walked out the door said, "Oh and Danny congratulations on all that 'specialness.' I bet it comes in handy when you're playin' the rollin' game." Don smirked and waggled his eyebrows at him.

Danny just groaned.

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**The end.**

**Thanks for reading!!!**


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